Is María Corina Machado returning to Venezuela after Maduro's arrest?

After months of hiding far away from her country, Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace laureate María Corina Machado has aimed to return to Venezuela.

As reported by Fox News, the Venezuelan opposition leader appeared in a TV interview on Monday, January 5, 2026, and revealed her possible return to Venezuela following the U.S. military operation that led to Venezuela's existing President Nicolas Maduro's arrest.

In the aftermath of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s capture by the U.S. in a military operation code-named "Operation Absolute Resolve," Delcy Rodriguez has assumed the power in Maduro’s place as acting president of Venezuela.

While giving a recent interview, Machado explained her decision-making process about when and where she can be most effective for Venezuela’s democratic transfer of power amid ongoing power crises.

Since the last election, Maria Machado has been living in hiding due to security threats.

After the capture of Maduro, there were hopes that the 58-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate would fill in the political vacuum in Venezuela and restore democracy in the country.

Even though Machado came out in support of Maduro stepping down, no one knows where the exiled opposition figure is, fueling speculation on social media, as, since Maduro’s capture, Machado has limited her public appearances.

Soon after Maduro's arrest, Venezuelan hoped that 58-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate would fill in the political vacuum and restore democracy in the country.

While on the contrary, U.S. President Trump also showed concerns by ruling out Maria Machado as a future leader of Venezuela, claiming she lacked the necessary “respect” and “support” in the country.

When asked whether she felt safe returning to Venezuela and whether she backed the transitional plan where the "Venezuelan people govern themselves," Machado stressed her commitment to returning back home while explaining her strategic decision-making process.

Maria Machado, who had been in hiding, briefly reappeared at a protest in January 2025 ahead of Maduro’s inauguration and was arrested at the event and then freed.

In October last year, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded Machado the Nobel Peace Prize for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights.”

As reported, Maria Machado embarked on a secretive voyage out of Venezuela by boat on December 10, 2025, before flying to Oslo to collect the Nobel in person.

After being in Norway for a week, she left for medical treatment at an undisclosed location for the injuries she sustained during her escape from Venezuela, and since then her whereabouts have been unknown, as there is no proof that Machado has made a comeback to Oslo.

Whereas, one of the Norwegian officials told news agencies, “Who said they were not aware? She had returned to the country, and if anyone in the government had such information, they were keeping very quiet about it.”

Additionally, despite not being found guilty in the U.S. court, Maduro's next hearing is due on March 17, 2026, and meanwhile, Delcy Rodriguez is serving as an interim president in Venezuela.